The Difference Between Good Leaders and Great Leaders

Some leaders are good, and then there are the ones that are truly great. What is that one thing that puts a great leader so far above a good one?

You can see good leaders a mile off. They do all the right things when it comes to leadership. They have an impressive array of skills like great communication, they work to a strategy, they encourage their team to excel, and they make smart decisions. A good leader is someone that can inspire and excite their team in the good times and the bad.

But then there are those leaders that are just plain great. There is just something about them that sets them apart and makes you want to follow them.

Just what is their secret – what makes a great leader great?

Great leaders are great because they surround themselves with great people.

What Stops Good Leaders From Being Great?

Sometimes it just doesn’t make sense. The leader seems to be doing all the right things, but something isn’t right. There seems to be a piece of the puzzle missing as the ship is charting off course somehow.

It all comes down to the crew that is helping man the ship. If the captain is on course, but the crew are clueless, then your boat is going to sink.

The thing that can cause this is throwing someone into a leadership role. With the role you are handed a position and a ready-made team. You don’t get the opportunity to pick the people you are going to be working with and more often than not, that team is in disarray or crisis.

No matter how good the leader is, if the team doesn’t gel, they will never achieve greatness.

What Helps Great Leaders Be Great?

A great leader has the option to select their team members. That doesn’t necessarily mean cherry picking the best and brightest on the market. But it does mean picking a compatible team that compliments each other and will work well together.

They show respect to their team, so earn respect in return. Their great communication and inclusive work environment allow everyone to perform to the best of their abilities. The whole team succeeds as one.

What Can You Do To Become a Great Leader

If you are offered the opportunity to take up a leadership role, you need to assess if it really is the role for you. It is going to put you in a position to be great? Or maybe you are already in a managerial position and you want to take your leadership from good to great.

The way you can do this is by asking yourself the following questions…

Have I had the opportunity to pick my team?

Does my team have talent and great skills?

Is there something I can do to help them be better?

Does my team have the potential to achieve greatness?

Do I need to make some changes to work with like-minded people?

Am I part of the problem?

This little exercise in self-assessment will help you take stock of your current position, or the position you are considering taking on. The resulting answers will help you to decide if the particular leadership role is for you, or if it is time to seek something different.

Remember, the best leader in the world cannot do everything by themselves. Without a great team behind you, it is hard to achieve the things that you want to achieve. Good leaders do the best with what they have, great leaders mould what they have into what they need to succeed.